<a href="https://www.on3.com/college/missouri-tigers/">Missouri</a> is coming off back-to-back double-digit winning seasons for the first time since the Gary Pinkel glory days.



The Tigers beat <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/ohio-state-buckeyes/">Ohio State</a> in the Cotton Bowl two seasons ago and <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/iowa-hawkeyes/">Iowa</a> in the Music City Bowl last season to build momentum into these last few months.



Former offensive lineman <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/armand-membou-7496/">Armand Membou</a> went in the first round of April’s NFL Draft and star receiver <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/luther-burden-iii-80996/">Luther Burden</a> was a second-round pick.



A lot is going well for coach <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/coach/eliah-drinkwitz-133588/">Eli Drinkwitz</a> and his staff.



So why does Missouri have only 10 commitments, bottom of the barrel in the SEC and tied for the fewest commitments among Power Four teams with <a href="https://www.on3.com/college/virginia-tech-hokies/">Virginia Tech</a>?



That answer is a little more complicated.



“It’s a combination of a couple things,” said Kenny Van Doren of <a href="http://mizzoutoday.com">MizzouToday.com</a>  “One big thing is they’ve put a different factor into what they’ve seen over production over potential. They want guys who can come right in and play right away. They can build a foundation through the high school ranks and retool by going to get guys who can play right away.”



A few recruiting cycles ago, Drinkwitz went viral on social media for an excessive celebration following five-star <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/williams-nwaneri-147169/">Williams Nwaneri</a>’s commitment to Missouri over <a href="https://www.on3.com/college/georgia-bulldogs/">Georgia</a>. It was reason to throw a party. But after only one season where he played in four games and made two tackles, Nwaneri transferred to <a href="https://www.on3.com/college/nebraska-cornhuskers/">Nebraska</a>.



Three of the top four players in that vaunted 2024 Missouri recruiting class are now gone as Nwaneri went to the Huskers, four-star receiver <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/courtney-crutchfield-175138/">Courtney Crutchfield</a> bolted for <a href="https://www.on3.com/college/arkansas-razorbacks/">Arkansas</a> and four-star running back <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/kewan-lacy-150872/">Kewan Lacy</a> left for <a href="https://www.on3.com/college/ole-miss-rebels/">Ole Miss</a>.



Missouri could see it this way: Why put in all that recruiting effort and expense when players come in for one year and then go search for a more lucrative opportunity?



Or why bring in a developmental prospect through the high school ranks when proven commodities will come to Columbia through the transfer portal because Missouri is now a wanted destination?



The Tigers had the sixth-best transfer class last cycle landing four-star RB <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/ahmad-hardy-240668/">Ahmad Hardy</a>, who rushed for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns at <a href="https://www.on3.com/sites/warhawk-report/">ULM</a> last season, four-star edge <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/damon-wilson-ii-28748/">Damon Wilson</a> from Georgia, four-star LB <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/josiah-trotter-68226/">Josiah Trotter</a> from <a href="https://www.on3.com/sites/wv-sports/">West Virginia</a> (who had 92 tackles last season), four-star receiver <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/kevin-coleman-jr-73980/">Kevin Coleman</a>, who led <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/mississippi-state-bulldogs/">Mississippi State</a> by far in receiving a year ago with more than 900 yards, and others.



Lose out on four-star offensive tackle <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/evan-goodwin-236817/">Evan Goodwin</a> to <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/smu-mustangs/">SMU</a>? The portal is always open. The Tigers are also working on flipping <a href="https://www.on3.com/sites/bruin-blitz/">UCLA</a> OL commit <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/johnnie-jones-240387/">Johnnie Jones</a>, Mississippi State edge commit <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/micah-nickerson-260051/">Micah Nickerson</a> and a few others. Van Doren said a 17-person class could be within range for Missouri this cycle.



For Drinkwitz, whose team has as many wins as <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/alabama-crimson-tide/">Alabama</a> over the last two seasons, he has a clear vision for what recruits – and then players – should expect when playing at Missouri. And it’s clearly communicated to every player in Columbia.



“The first thing is it’s a brotherhood so when anybody walks in, there’s trust and respect between coaches and players,” Drinkwitz said. “I believe our team trusts our coaching staff so when they bring somebody in there’s going to be an (immediate) amount of respect given to them.



“Trust is earned through competency and character. There is a level of respect that’s going to be given to anybody who walks in this building because they believe our coaches are going to pick guys who align with the values of our program. 



“The second thing is we have an always-compete mindset. What we bring in is inconsequential to your race and what you’re trying to do every single day to be the best version of yourself.”

mizzou-head-coach-eli-drinkwitz-reacts-matthew-sluka-unlv-drama-blames-ncaa-system

missouri-head-coach-eli-drinkwitz-reacts-matthew-sluka-unlv-drama-blames-ncaa-system

Rivals Football Recruiting

Rivals

Missouri takes different approach to building with small class

team image

Recruiting Board

Football

Basketball

Women's Basketball

Softball

Baseball

Teams

Fan Sites

Forums

Shows

News Feed

Database

Team Rankings

Player Rankings

Industry Comparison

Commitments

Recruiting Prediction Machine

Football Recruiting

Basketball Recruiting

Recruits

High School News

Schools

Rankings

Scores

High School

About

On3 App

Advertise

Press

Contact

Alabama

Arizona State

Arizona

Arkansas

Auburn

Baylor

Boston College

California

Removed

Clemson

Colorado

Duke

Florida

Florida State

Georgia

Georgia Tech

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Iowa State

Kansas

Kansas State

Kentucky

Lettermen Row

Lettermen Lounge

Louisville

Maryland

Miami

Michigan State

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi State

Missouri

NC State

Nebraska

North Carolina

Northwestern

Notre Dame

Ohio State

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Ole Miss

The Main Board

Oregon

Oregon State

Penn State

Pittsburgh

Purdue

Rutgers

South Carolina

Stanford

Syracuse

Tennessee

Texas A&M

Texas

Texas Tech

UCLA

Utah

Vanderbilt

Virginia

Virginia Tech

Wake Forest

Washington

Washington State

West Virginia

Wisconsin

BamaOnLine

BOL Round Table

Inside Texas

IT Members Only

DawgsHQ

Dawg Walk

Scoop Duck

Recruiting & Sports

AuburnSports

The Corner

WeAreSC

GarryP's Trojan Huddle

The Wolverine

The Fort

The Lions Den

The Wolfpacker

The Wolves’ Den

GatorsOnline

Swamp Talk

Alabama A&M

Alabama State

Albany

Alcorn State

Abilene Christian

Appalachian State

Akron

Army

Austin Peay

Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Arkansas-Little Rock

Arkansas State

Air Force

Ball State

American

Wofford

Winthrop

Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Wisconsin-Green Bay

Wichita State

Western Carolina

Volleyball

Gymnastics

Men's Lacrosse

Women's Lacrosse

Men's Soccer

Women's Soccer

Women's Track

Men's Golf

Women's Golf

Men's Hockey

Women's Hockey

Men's Swimming

Women's Swimming

Wrestling

Men's Tennis

Women's Tennis

Annual $1

Annual Premium

Annual $1 

Monthly

Annual

Unlimited Access to This and All Articles.

Article (On3 Plus Rivals)

Forum (On3 Plus Rivals)

Intro

Join

College scoop, experts, and community - all in one.

Winback

Team Recruiting Rankings

HS Football Scores

Rivals300

High School Rankings

Message Boards

New update on eligibility

Charles Bediako

Top 25 sees big movement

AP Poll

New No. 1 overall seed

Bracketology update

Composite of major outlets

Way-Too-Early Top 25

Punishing players' wallets

Deion Sanders